Denver Botanic Gardens

Denver Botanic Gardens is the #2 Denver-Area Tourist Attraction! 🎉 Ranked by Denver Business Journal via through-the-gate/paid/audited attendance in 2023. Full story: https://bit.ly/3Y94bOT

A newly documented orchid at our Chatfield Farms location is a rare find in Colorado! During the City Nature Challenge citizen science event in late April, we noticed a small, peach-colored plant emerging next to a log -- it was striped coralroot orchid (𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘩𝘪𝘻𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘢)! This orchid species hadn’t been recorded at Chatfield Farms despite thorough plant surveys and the only striped coralroot herbarium voucher in Jefferson County was made in 1905! Why hadn’t the plant been documented at Chatfield Farms before? Perhaps it was the timing of surveys — plant surveys were completed in late spring and early summer. While the striped coralroot orchid native range spans parts of Canada, the United States and Mexico, these plants usually grow in small numbers. Striped coralroot orchids can’t photosynthesize, instead gathering all their nutrients and energy by parasitizing fungi. Plants like these are called mycoheterotrophs and are recognizable as they don’t have any green parts. We collected a specimen as a voucher for the Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium. Having physical specimens is important as a resource for research that cannot occur through written or photographic records. -- Written by My-Lan Le, botany research assistant. Full story on our blog: https://bit.ly/3Y8C7Lf

You're invited! ✉️ Join horticulturists Kevin Philip Williams & Michael Guidi authors of “Shrouded In Light: Naturalistic Planting Inspired by Wild Shrublands” for a book release party Tuesday, Aug. 13, 4-6 p.m. Discover the philosophies and design strategies behind translating these magnificent plant communities into your home garden. Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3Wa8iY2 📗: The book is out now, published by Filbert Press. Get your copy at the Shop at the Gardens! Gardens members save 10%. 📸: Kevin Philip Williams

Don't miss Lavender Festival at Chatfield Farms this weekend, July 20-21. Buy your tix in advance as it is likely to sell out. Event info: https://lnkd.in/ghKruG_j

Rebecca Hufft, Associate Director of Applied Conservation, presented Dr. Carol Dawson, one of our Bureau of Land Management partners with the Edward T. LaRoe III Memorial Award via the North American Congress for Conservation Biology. 🎉 Rebecca says: “I have known Carol for 12 years and am continuously inspired and motivated by her. She shows up every day to promote conservation. I am thrilled to present Dr. Carol Dawson the 2024 LaRoe Award for her dedication to supporting science-driven management policies to conserve plant biodiversity through her leadership in the US Bureau of Land Management.” The award is given to an individual who has been a leader in translating principles of conservation biology into real world conservation, specifically those who have spent at least part of their career in public service. Dr. Dawson is a plant conservation biologist based in Colorado. She has spent the last 23 years of her career as the Plant Conservation Program Lead and the Threatened and Endangered Species Program Lead for the US Bureau of Land Management. She promotes conservation at the regional and national level and has been instrumental in establishing long-term monitoring of rare plant species. The data from these projects have been crucial in listing decisions under the US Endangered Species Act and influenced land use management decisions. Learn more: https://bit.ly/469RgOv

Beautiful bouquets, freshly cut from the Market Garden at Chatfield Farms! 💕💐 Weekly bouquets are an add-on offering to our Community Supporter Agriculture (CSA) subscribers. From dahlias to daisies the garden has been flourishing with vibrant blooms. Which one is your favorite? Learn more about our CSA program here: https://bit.ly/3i7pHy0

Chatfield Farms grows 25 varieties of lavender and each one has a slightly different scent. Check out the lavender garden self-guided walking tour: https://bit.ly/4eT8DXV Don't miss our Lavender Festival on Saturday and Sunday, July 20 and 21: https://bit.ly/3cQ7SjQ. Corporate Partner Stem Ciders will be pouring cider infused with lavender grown at Chatfield Farms! The lavender will be harvested during the last two weeks of July, so don’t wait too long to bring your nose for a visit this summer.

The July EcoQuest citizen science challenge is ✨ Milkweeds and Monarchs ✨ Milkweeds (Asclepias sp.) are now blooming in the greater metro area! You can help us document these flowers by photographing as many as possible in July. It is important to track them this month because milkweeds are the sole food source for monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) caterpillars. To learn more about this unique relationship and to get tips on identifying milkweed view the July EcoQuest here: https://bit.ly/3LaVprR Then post your findings to the Denver EcoFlora Project on iNaturalist https://bit.ly/2ydLDCW and watch your photos become scientific data! 📸: 1. Asclepias speciosa, davidemartin, some rights reserved, CC BY-NC

Chatfield Farms is looking grand right now thanks to our hard working Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) growers! 🤩 Buckets of broccoli were harvested and trucked out from the field, gorgeous snapdragons were collected from our Market Garden and a swallowtail was spotted! Learn more about our CSA program here: https://bit.ly/3i7pHy0

Oohh! 😮 Aahh! 🤩 Happy Independence Day! Here is a little botanical fireworks show for you. 🌱Plant ID: 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢, Fire Spinner (Ice plant) 𝘌𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘪 (Sea holly) Dahlia 'Mary Lou' Gomphrena ‘Fireworks’